Anyone else get white coat syndrome?

[Tatum29]

I hate having my BP taken and I get very anxious before antenatal appointments because I know I'll be checked. So far my BP readings have been around 140/78, although the last one was 125/85. My midwife knows how stressed I get having the BP done and said they're generally only bothered about the bottom number. Anyway, my readings haven't been TECHNICALLY high, but I know the readings are probably higher than they would be if I wasn't nervous.

Does anyone else get nervous about having their BP taken and do my readings seem okay? The midwife's been okay about my BP readings and she just writes the result in my book without much comment, except to say "why do you worry about your BP?"! I wish I knew!!

I hate that I spoil my appointments by worrying about something as silly as my BP beforehand - everything's always okay anyway, so I'm my own worst enemy and I wind myself up over nothing! I have my 28 wk appointment on monday, hence why my BP is playing on my mind!

UGH! Can anyone relate or is this a phobia only I have!

 

[Sherlock]

Your BP seems fine 125/85 is ok. I'd not worry.

I must admit it seems a bit of a strange thing to worry about during check ups. Most seem to focus on blood tests and get weirded out by those, but we all have our *thing* that causes us concern. So don't fret overly.

You are right, worrying can cause it to increase a bit so maybe go in and talk etc first, relax a little, have it taken and then ask to have it taken again at the end to see if its altered. Sometimes 10 minutes can bring it down a bit more.

Good luck and please try to relax a little about it. It really is the best thing you can do to try to ensure you don't send it higher. And even if it is slightly high, as my Doctor said to me, they do it again 15 minutes later after resting a bit and it comes down usually

 

[Tatum29]

Your BP seems fine 125/85 is ok. I'd not worry.

I must admit it seems a bit of a strange thing to worry about during check ups. Most seem to focus on blood tests and get weirded out by those, but we all have our *thing* that causes us concern. So don't fret overly.

You are right, worrying can cause it to increase a bit so maybe go in and talk etc first, relax a little, have it taken and then ask to have it taken again at the end to see if its altered. Sometimes 10 minutes can bring it down a bit more.

Good luck and please try to relax a little about it. It really is the best thing you can do to try to ensure you don't send it higher. And even if it is slightly high, as my Doctor said to me, they do it again 15 minutes later after resting a bit and it comes down usually

It is a strange phobia LOL I don't mind having blood taken or doing blood tests etc like many people do, it's just that dratted BP cuff! Something triggered a phobia, but I have no idea where it came from My MW usually lets me wait until the end to have it done, when I'm alittle calmer - once she took it twice and it went from 140/85 to 140/78 in about 10 mins! She was fine about that - as I said, my BP at my last check up was 125/85. I'm going to make an effort to stay relaxed, hopefully I won't make my BP go up too much by being scared! With my GP (the only person who can take my BP without me freaking), my BP is usually 120/70-something...sigh...I must be strange

 

[purple13]

i have white coat syndrome too...

i tried yoga breathing techniques to bring it down but my bp just got higher and higher towards the end of my pregnancy.

i ended up being induced at my due date because all my measurements ended up being borderline and they didn't want to take the risk

totally sympathise hon - your readings are really pretty good at the moment at the moment though, so don't worry

 

[GBLiz]

lol, that is a weird one but once you start worrying about it , its a viscious circle! I used to have a thing of getting really uptight having to wait at drs surgeries and id be climbing the walls by the time the buzzer went for me, but now im more chilled 8)

 

[Tatum29]

I am officially my own worst enemy! I just need to find ways to relax beforehand. Thanks guys, it's nice to hear that my BP readings so far are not through the roof! Hopefully I can keep a decent BP reading, despite my anxiety beforehand

 

[Suzie and Faith]

My mum is the same, she stresses over her BP being done therefore making it higher. At least your docs are aware of this xxxx

 

[Happybunny]

I definately used to have this (I have a long history of anxiety, particualrly about my heart), my BP would go through the roof because I was terrified that it would be high and they would tell me I was going to have a heart attack etc.

I can confidently say, after a year of psychotherapy, I am no longer that person. I do some simple breathing techniques when I have my BP taken...my BP has never been so low and it has remained steady throughout pregnancy!

 

[AnnaR2B]

Hun I am calm as a cucumber when i go in, hospitals, docs don't freak me out at all, yet i have pregnancy induced hypertension, my bp is currently 158/103, but was 168/110 last week...and i'm ok, have to be monitored closely, but no big deal....your numbers are fine

 

[xkikix]

Your BP is about the same as mine hun, altho at one of my appointments mine shot up and my midwife said i had white coat syndrome too (i'd never heard anyone say this before!!) So she gave me a BP machine to take home and test myself 3 times a day and record on a sheet.

Its great I take all my visitors BP with it as well!!

 

[Tatum29]

Thank you for the reassuring replies, it really helps and I'll bear them in mind when I go in on monday - it'll hopefully calm me down

 

[MakkaP]

Hi,

I've got the same problem, during my first pregnancy my BP was slightly higher than it should be and obviously they made a fuss, which made me stress...slowly it got higher and I was induced around 38 weeks when my bottom no was 120

Roll forward to this pregnancy....I had my first scan at 12+6 and was admitted to an assesment ward as my BP was very high as a result of me worrying. I'm now back under the BP consultant I was before and I was given an 'sp ambigulary?? monitor' for 24 hours that took readings every 30mins...even during the night!
Anyway...I got the results, they gave me a night average, day average and an average in whole...in whole it was like 115/70!! My BP was better than the docs!
Therefore - at the moment I have 'white coat syndrome' more than likely cos it was an 'issue' last time, I've tried calming myself down but I feel myself getting worked up waiting for it to be taken, its a viscious circle.
I have to get monitors at 28, 32 and 36 weeks to check if my BP is going up but the 'white coat' is hiding it just incase, but its more than likely it'll go sky high again.
My midwife is also taking my BP at home before clinic app's as its always relatively normal when taken at home!

 

[jendav81]

I'm the same hun, my heart always feels like it's beating faster when I get it done! Last one was 120/70 though so it was ok xx

 

[samandbump]

i used to hate having my bp done, it always seemed to rocket when i saw the mw or consultant, eventually i did develop PE, i got admitted from clinic at 35+ weeks and didnt come out until id had baby i was so annoyed, thought it was just another white coat day!!!!!!

 

[Tatum29]

Thanks for the replies - it's nice to know I'm not alone. I have my 28 wk antenatal on monday, it'll be interesting to see if I can stay calm and get a decent BP reading! Will let you know